Improvement in gig-saddles



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHN M. GWINNELL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSI-.GNOR OF ONE-HALF i HISRIGHT TO JACOB HUBER, OF SAME PLACE.

VIMPROVEM ENT IN GIG-SADDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,609, dated December25, 1877; application iled November 23, 1877.

To all whom it ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. GwnvNELL, of the city of Newark, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Grig- Saddles; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecifcation.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture ofgig-saddles; and consists in so constructing the saddle that it can besold without any back-ba'nd, and, when subsequently fitted for any styleof harness, a suitable back-band attached, in the manner now to bedescribed.

In the drawings annexed hereto I have shown three diiferent styles ormodes of car- A rying out my invention, the plan itself consisting insecuring to the loop of the back-band a fastener of metal, which isadapted to fit into the saddle and hold the loop securely, while it isat the same time, if desired, removable, so that different styles ofbands can be fitted to the same saddle. By this arrangement theinconvenience and expense necessary formerly to change a back-band areentirely obviated.

, To carry out my invention I use the regular leather loop or itsequivalent; but in making the loop, instead of fastening the ends underthe flap of the saddle, I stitch the ends to and around the head of aT-shaped piece of metal, the cross-piece at the top being shaped so asto be easily covered by the leather, and the upright center-piece of theT being providedwith a screw-thread, dovetail, or other device forsecuring it into the jiap.

I refer, of course, in this description to round loops, as the iiat onesoffer no obstacle to the removal of the back-band, and the round part ofthe back-band is therefore inserted in the loop when the T-piece issecured thereto.

On the under side of the iiap I provide a piece of metal, which, withthe flap itself, is

pierced to receive the upright of the T in the loop. To hold thisT-piece in the ilap securely, I have devised several modes ofconstruction, but do not limit myself to any particular form.

In Figures l and 2 of the drawings I have shown the T provided with ascrew-thread, a, and the saddle fitted with a plate having a tapped holein it to lit the thread. A is the iiap; B, the loop; C, the back-band;D, the T-piece; E, the plate; and F, the stiffener of iron--usually usedunder the iiap-I have riveted to the plate E at G.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown the T provided with a dovetail, and theplate with a slot, having-an opening to insert and remove the T. His theplate. I is the T-shaped fastening. J is the dovetail. K is the opening;A, the iiap, and F the stiii'ener.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the T-shaped piece is double, or provided at both endswith cross-pieces at right angles with one another.

Instead of a plate, I extend the stiffener beneath the loop, pierce itlengthwise with a slot, and thus secure the T-piece in the saddle, asthe lower end of the T cannot be withdrawn when inserted in the slot andturned half-way around. The stem of this double T-piece being madesquare, and the slot of the same width, the back-band is prevented 'omturning off of the saddle when the T is put into the end of the slot.

In Figs. 5 and 6, A is the ilap; F, the stiffener L, the loop end ofthedouble T-piece; M, the cross-bar at the other end of the square Shank N.

The slot O in the stiii'ener is enlarged in width in one place, to allowthe shank N to be turned.

Having thus described several modes of securing the loop and back-bandto the saddle, I do not limit myself to any precise mode of effectingthat object.

I am also aware that some other construction of loop may be preferred tothe leather eye and T-piece of metal united thereto, and I do not,therefore, limit myself to the use of a T-piece for uniting a detachableback-band to a gig-saddle; but

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my o'wn I hereto aix m'ysign'ature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN M. GWINNELL.

Witnesses:

OLIVER DRAKE, I. J. INsLEE.

